Windshield wiper



L. ZAIGER WINDSHIELD WIPBR July 31,1928. 1,678,688

Filed March 12, 1928 Invenror. LOUIS Zaiger A? Tys ezezeae Patented July 31, 19 28;

* UNITED STATES,

LOUIS mean, or

WINDSHIEIID Application ma larch 1a, was. Serial ire-sentry.

This invention relates to windshield wipers such as are used on motor. vehicles for keeping the windshield clean; These windshield wipers are commonly made with 5 a holder or backing U-sha ed in cross section andwith a-flexi le wiping element anchored between the legs of the U-shaped backing strip. v

One of the objects of my present invention 10 is to provide a novel w ndshield. wiper of this type in which the wiping portion comprises two flexible strips spaced from each other and arrangedso that during each wiping movement'the leading strip will givethe' windshield a preliminary wiping and the following strip will give the windshield a second or final wiping.- In this way a .better wiping effect is produced than is possible with a single wiping strip. Other objects of he inv entipn are improve windshield w i ers' of the t pc 111 various ways all aswi be more in lyheremafter set fosth.

In order. to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the draw! a selected embodiment thereof which will- 'now be described after which the novelffeatux-es willbe pointed out in the appendedf claims. 3n

wiper in contact with the of a 'wind shield, which glass is shown in section;

I Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View ilar view showing theaction wiping strips which will be presently described. The backing 1 is supportedinj a;

-' holder 2 which is carried on the. end of a ciprocating or vibrating wiper arm? all as co usual in windshield wipers. This arm, maybe either manually or automaticallyo erated. The wiper 'is so supportedm i holder 2 that i has an inclined tive to the glass 4 during its wiping 'llrment, said wiper rocking or tipping overa't" andflexible. These stri tance beyond the hol Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved the wiping element 6 is flexed considerably while-the wiping element 5 is flexed very little, ifiital view show e opposite .agamst the at m. rig-4, the wip strips beams the end of each movement so that when moving in one direction it has the position shown m'Fig. 3 and when moving in the other direction has the position shown in Fig. 4, this being a common. expedient in windshield wipers. a

In my improved wiper the wiping action j is, eflected by two flexible wiping strips 5 and 6 which mayv oonveni'entl be made of rubber and which will preierab y be relatively soft are anchored or retained between the si' e walls of the-U- shaped holder -1. and reject a. suflicient diser to' efiect the wiping :operatlon.

These two strips are of the samewidth" and are spaced fromeach 'other by me'ansof a spacin strip or ply 7' which may' beof felt, rub r or any other suitable materials The spacing strip 7 is of less width than the wiping strips 5am] 6 so that the edges of the wlping'strlp project beyond the edges of the spacing drip.

At-each wiping movement the wiper member standsat an i clination, as shown in- Q Figs.;3 and, 4 said 'per having the position shown in Fig. 3 w moving toward the right, andvt;h;& osition shown in Fig. 4 when moving to the left, this -bei the man-- nor. in which these wipers usual y operate. Theltvto wiper strips 5 and 6 have such a relation to each other that during each movement they both have contact with the glass. Du e movement to the right, Fig. 3,

Becauserof the-inclination at which the wiping element; stands the leadingwiping strip, which is the strip 6 in' Fig. 3, H .gla'ss' with a. greater pressure than ,thea fbl owing strip 5. This leading strip provides the main wiping action on the gIassand the-following strip .5, which has a relativelyelight bearing against the glass, asecond wiping operation, which s sbmewhatinthe nature of a polishing op-. v

eraltib Duringthe'ireturn movement" as strip whichv performs the main operation and thestrip -6 becomes operation. -;There fore, at each mat QEi g str'ip whl'ch does the final or a mcve ment bothstripsare operatin against 1' performing 51 main "'9- wiping operation when the wiper is moving in one direction and the other strip performing such operation when the wiper is movin in the opposite direction.-

in order to get this action. it is important that the spacing strip 7 should be of-the proper thickness in order to maintainthe cient reinforcement to the-flexible strips so siderably ing and it is desired to keep that they will be effective in cleaning wet snow from the windshield. A windshield embodying this invention, might be described as having two degrees of flexure. The free edges of the strips 5 and 6 which project-beyond the'spacing strip 7 are rela tivelyflexible and effectively perform the ordinary wiping operation when it is rainthe-windshield free from'rain. .But if snow, andespecially wet snow, accumulates on the; windshield,

the resistance offered to the wiping strips is greater than that which is offered -1n ordinary operat1on. Under these circumstances the inter-posed spacing strip 7, which is conless. resilient than the rubber strips, provides sufficient resistance to the p dge will be carried across the windshield in I front of the wiper.

For wiping the windshield when rain or moisture is accumulating on ita relatively delicate. wiping action will sufiice but if snow accumulates on the windshield then the wiping'strips must have greater resist- *ance.

My lmproved windshield wiper meets both of these conditions since the portions of the rubber strips 5 and 6 which project beyond the spacing strip 7 are relativel flexible while the spacing strip prov-i es the added resistance to flexing movement necessary to efiectively clean the windshield of If desired, I may make the corners of the wiping element somewhat rounded as-shown at 8. The advantage of this is that the tiping action of the wiper is freer and there is no danger that the corners of the wiping from the backing.

lightly against the glass and will the final wiping. operation.

so thatthe accumulated snow eas es strips will become cau'ght'and pulled out I claim: I

1. A windshield wiper comprising a U- shaped backing member, flexible wiping strips mounted in said member and projecting beyond the edges thereof, a flexible spacer interposed between said wiping strips and spacing them from each other, said spacerprojecting beyond the edges of said backing member and terminating short of the edges of said wiping strips, said spacer being of a sufficient thickness to maintain independence between said wiping strips whereby an advancing wiping strip will perform the .main wiping operation while the following wiping strip willbear lightly against the windshield to perform a final wiping operation.

2. A windshield wiper comprising a U- shaped backing member, two flexible wiping strips of substantially the same width carried by said backing member and projecting beyond the edges thereof, and a flexible spacer interposed between said wiping strips and spacing them, said spacer pro ecting beyondthe edges of said backing member and terminating short of the edges of said wiping strips, and so separating them that during each wiping stroke theadvancing wiping strip will be bent around the spacer and willperform the main wiping operation while the following wiping strip will bear perform '3. A windshield wiper comprising a U,-

shaped holder adapted to be so attached to a reciprocating arm as to permit said holder to rock I at the end of each wiping stroke, flexible wiping strips carried by said'holder and projecting beyond the edge thereof, a flexible spacer interposed between "said wiping strips and spacing them from each other, said spacer projecting beyond the holder edge and. terminating short of the edges of the wipin strips, to separate said wiping strips so t at during each wiping stroke the advancing strip will be bent around the spacer to perform the main wiping operation while the following wiping strip will bear lightly against the glass to perform the final wiping operation. one wiping strip becoming the leading strip when the wiper is a moving in one direction and the other becoming the leading strip when the wiper is moving in the other direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS ZAIGER:

Ill 

